Energy-Active

Methods and apparatus for processing corn into one or more corn products. Oil is extracted from corn or corn products or by-products with a solvent. The corn-solvent mixture is separated into streams, one of which preferably includes an extract containing at least oil and solvent, and another containing de-oiled corn solids and adsorbed solvent. The solvent is separated from oil, and the de-oiled, desolventized corn solids are processed to provide one or more corn products.

Professor Gary Eden from the University of Illinois has found a remarkable way of generating hydrogen from tap water efficiently and inexpensively, using an array of microchannel plasmas. This technology can be used to replace carbon-based fuels by producing hydrogen at the point of use in devices such as water heaters, ovens, furnaces, etc., basically anything that requires a flame.

A microfluidic electrochemical reactor includes an electrode and one or more microfluidic channels on the electrode, where the microfluidic channels are covered with a membrane containing a gas permeable polymer. The distance between the electrode and the membrane is less than 500 micrometers. The microfluidic electrochemical reactor can provide for increased reaction rates in electrochemical reactions using a gaseous reactant, as compared to conventional electrochemical cells. Microfluidic electrochemical reactors can be incorporated into devices for applications such as fuel cells, electrochemical analysis, microfluidic actuation, pH gradient formation.

Dr. Yong Su Jin from the University of IL has engineered new Saccharomyces strains to bypass the preferential consumption of glucose. These strains allow simultaneous conversion of a variety of sugars into ethanol. Normally, sugars like xylose and galactose are not metabolized until glucose reserves have been exhausted.  The invention allows for simultaneous conversion of multiple carbon sources and thereby makes for more efficient ethanol production.